Wales and Japan Embark on a Year of Cultural Connection
From Japanese puppetry to the musical exchange of young people, artists from Wales are preparing a bold new cultural exchange with Japan for 2025.
2025 is the Welsh Government's Year of Wales And Japan and as part of it, British Council Wales and Wales Arts International, supported by Welsh Government, have launched a dedicated Wales-Japan Culture Fund to support arts activity between the two countries during 2025.
The year-long programme will spotlight the unique values of Wales in Japan and Japanese creativity in Wales, with a particular focus on cultural wellbeing, sustainability, and Indigenous languages. Aligned with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, the initiative supports creative collaborations rooted in equality, climate action, and community connection.
Among the funded projects, Cardiff-based Hijinx Theatre, internationally recognised for its inclusive work with learning-disabled and neurodivergent performers, will tour its award-winning show Meet Fred to Japan in autumn 2025.
Performances will take place at the Bird Theatre Festival in Tottori, with additional workshops and engagement led by Tokyo-based inclusive arts organisation SLOW LABEL.
Alongside Hijinx, the International Ceramics Festival (ICF) - Europe’s leading ceramics event held every two years at Aberystwyth Arts Centre - will also receive funding. ICF 2025 will host two Japanese ceramic artists - the kintsugi artist Iku Nishikawa and sustainable wood-firer, Euan Craig. This continues ICF’s long-standing connection with Japanese craft traditions.
Hijinx and The International Ceramics Festival represent two of fourteen projects supported by the Wales–Japan Cultural Fund, representing a wide range of artistic disciplines - from literature and ceramics to experimental sound, animation, and environmental installation.
Highlights include:
- Cian Ciarán (Super Furry Animals) reimagining his orchestral work for piano performances across Japan
- Freya Dooley and Clare Charles creating a cross-cultural sound art broadcast
- Heather Parnell and Sue Hunt developing a collaborative exhibition on gift-giving traditions
- An exchange of children’s book creators and publishers through Literature Across Frontiers
- A literary exchange from Parthian Books, featuring Welsh authors Eluned Gramich and Susan Karen Burton
- Paper artist Mari Wirth creating an environmental installation with Green Bird Himeji
- Experimental harpist Rhodri Davies touring five Japanese cities
- A collaboration between six female dancers, musicians, and visual artists from Wales and Japan, culminating in a performance at Chapter Arts Centre
- Cardiff Animation Festival partnering with the New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival
- Plas Glyn y Weddw establishing a woodworking exchange with the Mt Fuji Wood Culture Society
- Re-Live partnering with Tenjin-kai focussing on the arts and dementia
- The Aloud Charity, take young Welsh singers on a performance tour across Japan
Speaking about the fund, Ruth Cocks, Director British Council Wales, said:
“We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the Wales and Japan Culture Fund grant, following a highly competitive selection process. The popularity of this fund is testament to the growing cultural exchange between our two nations and the creative possibilities that both provide.
“From Only Boys Aloud’s continued youth engagement in Wales and Japan through songs, Hijinx’ inclusive performance ‘Meet Fred’, to a focus on literary translation for children with Literature Across Frontiers, the projects are diverse and varied and reflect contemporary Wales and Japan. We’re proud to support these projects and to help create new global platforms and opportunities for Welsh and Japanese creativity."